Empty title for UNH in otherwise lost weekend

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

First of all, let me take the time to congratulate the University of New Hampshire Wildcats on winning the regular season Hockey East title for its eighth regular-season title and third in the last four years. For sure, it is an accomplishment, especially with the amount of unrest there was in the league this season. And for me personally, it was a pleasure to be there at ice level to see it.

That being said, the Wildcats did little to help themselves in terms of the big picture. UNH captured just one of a possible four points in the weekend tilt and despite winning a trophy, actually hurt themselves when it comes to winning hardware that actually matters.

Don't let the trophy fool you. UNH is not the best team in Hockey East. Not by a long shot. The past weekend proved that as through seven periods of hockey (six regulation and one overtime), the Wildcats were outplayed in six of them. UNH was unable to beat Boston College at all this year, and while going 0-1-2 while being outscored 10-9 against the Eagles isn't terrible, the quality in all three contests was on BC's side. Remember that in both of the two ties, UNH needed frantic third-period comebacks to salvage a point and UNH was totally out-played by the Eagles on Saturday, getting outshot, 40-18, in a 3-2 loss.

Now the Wildcats have put them in a must-win situation. They are in the top-10 in the PairWise Rankings, which are designed to mimic the system used by the NCAA when seeding teams, but remember that teams outside the top-16 in the rankings can make the tournament by winning their conference tournaments. Therefore, if you want in, you had better have a pretty good spot within the top-10. At this point, the regular season champs run a very real risk of missing the national tournament altogether, which would snap an eight-year streak of making the tounament, the second-longest in the nation.

Win the whole thing and the PWR is meaningless in terms of getting in and rankings only matter for seeding. But the Wildcats have to at least win their quarterfinal series against Vermont at the Whittemore Center to improve their stock. Vermont is still ranked in the USCHO poll and is tied for 16th in the PWR, so a sweep in that series would do wonders. That followed by a win over either UMass-Lowell or rival Maine would solidify their place as a tournament team. But lost out in that first round and forget it.

One thing teams need down the stretch and in the playoffs is great goaltending and after this weekend, that is one thing I am convinced the Wildcats have. Brian Foster made some huge saves in an overtime period of the 3-3 tie on Friday that was spend almost competely in the UNH zone and on Saturday, he made 37 saves, giving him 69 on the weekend with a .920 save percentage.

Boston College finished the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the nation, picking up 17 of a possible 22 points in February to improve to No. 4 both in the USCHO and PWR rankings, giving them a very good shot at a No. 1 seed in the national tourney. The interesting thing to watch for in the playoffs is who gets the start between the pipes - frosh Parker Milner or John Muse, the veteran with a national championship under his belt? My money is on Milner, who has been outstanding down the stretch, aside from one bad period on Friday night, and owns a 1.91 GAA. Muse was less than spectacular on Saturday and Jerry York has shown no qualms about sitting a veteran for the hot hand in the past.

So let's take a look at the quarterfinal matchups of this Hockey East Tournament:

No. 8 Vermont at No. 1 UNH
Vermont has remained in the national tournament conversation because of some tough early-season wins against non-conference opponents, but have done very poorly within the league. The Catamounts do hold a 2-1-0 record against the Wildcats this season, but UNH has yet to lose a game on home ice.

No. 7 UMass at No. 2 Boston College
This season the Eagles have absolutely owned the Minutemen, who needed help to get into the tournament and got it. BC has not lost to UMass (3-0-0) and have held the Mass Attack to one goal in all three games, while potting 10.

No. 6 Merrimack at No. 3 Boston University
The storyline in this one is great. Due to inconsistency and injury, BU was a basement team at the beginning of the season and ascended all the way to a third seed and home ice. Merrimack has been that cute little cousin who tries really hard, but just can't play with the big boys over the last few years, but have come on late to make a solid case as a team to watch and fear in the tournament by beating some of the better teams in the league.

No. 5 UMass-Lowell at No. 4 Maine
Both of these teams have shown nothing but inconsistency this season. Maine looked like it could compete for a two seed at one point, but a sweep by lowly UMass at the end of the season displays that this team still has a lot of problems. Not the least of those problems is the fact that their starting goaltender missed the final series of the season and was suspended indefinitely while reportedly being treated for alcohol-related problems. Lowell is in a very similar situation (other than the suspension issues), having been one of the top teams to start the season, falling almost out of the tournament altogether, then rebounding.

Prediction:
UNH over Vermont, 2-1.
UMass-Lowell over Maine, 2-0
BU over Merrimack, 2-1
BC over UMass, 2-0

In another related topic, Hockey East proved to be one of the most unpredictable leagues in college hockey. My preseason predictions were way off, as were the predictions of both USCHO and InsideCollegeHockey.com, the two major online sources for national college hockey news. Let's take a look at just how different the Hockey East landscape ended up from how it looked before the season started.

As you can see, myself, USCHO and InsideCollegeHockey all failed to be clairvoyant enough to forsee injuries to BU and all of us thought UMass-Lowell would be fighting for top billing in the league after a strong finish to last season. All of us saw UNH as more of a middle-of-the-road team than an actual contender and none of us forsaw Merrimack making a late-season run into the playoffs as the sixth seed.

Great signing (Wilfork) by the Patriots

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Don't call the New England Patriots cheap!

While the Pats typically don't throw money around like an out-of-control gambler, they do spend when they think it's a great investment.

So kudos to the New England Patriots for realizing they needed to dig deep to sign the best nose tackle on the free agent market. Better yet, the best tackle in all of football.

Welcome home again Vince Wilfork.

The big man and force in the middle of the Patriots defense will be staying in Foxboro for five more seasons after inking a five-year, $40 million deal.

I said it before, the Pats needed to sign Wilfork no matter the price.

And a signing bonus of $18 million and $25 million guaranteed proves to Patriots Nation that their team spends big when they need to.

Yes, the Pats have a lot of holes to fill, but Wilfork was a must and it's one great start to free agency.

Just imagine that defense without the big man in the middle this season. You got it, it wouldn't be pretty and opposing teams would run on us like crazy.

Wilfork is a major key to this defense, and it's nice to know he'll be for quite a while.

Again, great signing Patriots, and keep doing your thing Wilfork!

Fantasy Baseball: Positional Rankings - Shortstop

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The fantasy position of shortstop has really transformed, once again, the past few years. For a short period of time it had turned into a power hitting position. With the exception of a select few, the position has once again turned into a position that provides average, runs, stolen bases and on base percentage.

The Top 20:

1. Hanley Ramirez - Marlins

2. Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies

3. Jimmy Rollins - Phillies

4. Derek Jeter - Yankees

5. Jose Reyes - Mets

6. Alexei Ramirez - White Sox

7. Jason Bartlett - Rays

8. Yunel Escobar - Braves

9. Stephen Drew - Diamondbacks

10. Rafael Furcal - Dodgers

11. Asdrubal Cabrera - Indians

12. Elvis Andrus - Rangers

13. Jhonny Peralta - Indians

14. Miguel Tejada - Orioles

15. Ryan Theriot - Cubs

16. J.J. Hardy - Twins

17. Erik Aybar - Angels

18. Alcides Escobar - Brewers

19. Ian Desmond - Nationals

20. Everth Cabrera - Padres

The Top 20:

Hanley Ramirez - H-Ram is truly the only elite player at this position in my opinion. He literally does everything at the plate. He hits for average, hits home runs, drives runners in, steals bases and scores runs. What else do you want? Nothing, really and that is why he's the #2 overall ranked player in fantasy baseball

The 2nd Tier:

Troy Tulowitzki - Tulo really put it together again last season. He almost hit .300 (.297) and had his first 30 homer season. I attribute the total of 92 RBI on a struggling Colorado offense for a good portion of the season. Look for him to build off last season and only improve.

Jimmy Rollins - I really battled putting Rollins at the #3 slot for this position. I really like Jeter better, but Rollins still steals bases. His average has dropped each of the past two seasons, but he did hit more homers and drive in more runs.

Derek Jeter - Despite not being a Yankees fan, Derek Jeter is one of my all time favorites. He does everything at the plate extremely well. He'll never hit 30 home runs, but who cares when you put up good numbers at every other offensive category.

On the Rise:

Alcides Escobar - The Brewers are finally giving the young shortstop a shot at starting after trading J.J. Hardy to the Twins. He did hit .304 in 125 at bats towards the end of the season last year and was very impressive.

Ian Desmond - Desmond should push Christian Guzman out of his position this year. Like Escobar, he also impressed in 21 games last year. He has a good bat, with decent power and a good glove. Look for him to get more playing time as the season goes on.

Elvis Andrus -The slick fielding shortstop made great strides in the 2nd half last season. He hit .280 after the All Star break. He sure is a light hitting player, but adds 30+ stolen bases to his game.

Jose Iglesias - The Red Sox apparently love this guy. From all the reports I've read, and heard, he could play defensively in the majors right now. He did impress with his bat in the Arizona League, but the Sox really think he needs at least another year in the minors.

On the Slide:

Rafael Furcal - Furcy really frustrates me as a Dodgers fan. Until last season, I always thought that if he's healthy, then he's a very good player. Unfortunately his knee problems have slowed him down on the base paths and in the field.

Miguel Tejada - Miggy can't really play the position anymore, but who cares. He'll at least still hit for you. I doubt he'll put up numbers similar to last year when he hit .313. His power numbers are way down and I don't expect him to ever hit more than 15 in a season again.

Marco Scutaro - I really didn't like this signing by the Red Sox. Having one good year does not make you a full time starter. He'll never be more than a role player for me, and I expect him to struggle in the Sox lineup this year.

Christian Guzman - He really should lose most of his playing time with Ian Desmond on the team. He can still hit for average, but do nothing else.

Look for the Outfield rankings this weekend.

It's ok to be disappointed, B's fans. But don't go crazy.

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

So the Bruins allowed the NHL trading deadline to pass without making a splash. Let's not go crazy. No one did.

Sure, it's ok to be a little disappointed. After all, the team that scored the fewest goals in the NHL to this point this season did nothing to improve its abilities in that area.

But there are a couple of things to consider. First is the fact that the Bruins are right up against the cap. The trades they did make opened up a couple million dollars, but the Bruins were in the exact same position as pretty much every other team in the league in terms of wiggle room financially. No team really made a big deal because no team looking to make a deal had the cap room to take on a large contract. The Bruins were no different.

The second thing is in regards to what the Bruins actually had to offer another team. If you were a general manager trying to strike a deal with the Bruins, if you look at the assets on the team that could be acquired, who would you want? Michael Ryder? No. You would be looking at the first-round draft picks.

And you know what? I don't blame Peter Chiarelli for not selling the farm. I wouldn't, either. I don't doubt he tried, but the only carrot that really looked appealing to anyone else is the one that both he or I would be unwilling to give up.

The Bruins are what they are this year and Chiarelli can be blamed for that. But he also realized that because they are what they are, one player is not going to make that much of a difference and certainly isn't worth such a valuable asset as two first-round picks. In reality, the Bruins are not devoid of talent. They are devoid of healthy talent. Through how many games have the lines that were projected at the beginning of the season actually played together? Not nearly enough. And now with Bergeron expected to be out, there will be more shifting.

It's very possible the shifting lines will continue all season and as a result, we will have to endure the punchless B's. But the sacrifice now is being made for the future good of the team. I understand it. Everyone else should, too.

NFL Free Agency begins tonight

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

In case you didn't know, or even realize, the 2010 NFL Free Agency period begins tonight at 12:01 AM. Personally, I am very excited, and intrigued, how free agency will shake out this year with an uncapped season. If you follow this blog, than you know that I am a Patriots fan.

I have very mixed feelings on how the Patriots will operate this off season. It looks certain Logan Mankins will be back now that he was assigned the 1st & 3rd round tender. With that being said, the biggest move they need to make is signing Vince Wilfork to a long term deal.

They have three 2nd round picks this year, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them sign a restricted free agent, and surrender one of those picks. I wouldn't be surprised to see them make a trade for a wide receiver like Anquan Boldin or Brandon Marshall. I also wouldn't be surprised if the Patriots decide to retain most of their own free agents, sign Tom Brady to an extension, and not make a huge splash in free agency. Of course, I could wake up tomorrow and the Pats could have signed Julius Peppers and traded for Greg Olson. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Eagles, Wildcats ready to face off for the HE title

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Given the way the entire season has gone throughout Hockey East, is it any more fitting that the regular season championship comes down to the last weekend?

Several things are still to be decided heading into the last week of the regular season with the crown being tops on the list. Second-place Boston College trounced Merrimack in a Tuesday-night affair, which put the fifth-ranked Eagles just two back of No. 10 UNH. They then closed the gap to one point with an overtime win over freefalling UMass and a 4-4 UNH tie with Northeastern after the Wildcats came back from a 3-0 deficit. But UNH got two crucial points with a three-goal third period on the back end of the Northeastern series, giving them a bit of breathing room.

Now it comes down to it. Two games, three points separating the two teams. The first tiebreaker in Hockey East is head-to-head record and the teams are knotted at 0-0-1. BC doesn't hold any tiebreakers (wins in conference play; best record against first place, second place, etc.), so in order to win the title, BC has to sweep the home-and-home series, which will be no easy task. The first game is at the Whittemore Center, where UNH has yet to lose this year in Hockey East play. They at 9-0-3 this year and 14-0-3 at home against the league since January 25, 2009.

Still, BC is the hottest team in the league, going 8-2-0 over its last 10 games and always has had a habit of beating the Wildcats when it matters. Last year, a BC team that didn't even make it to the national tournament swept UNH in the Hockey East tourney's quarterfinal round, including a 1-0 shutout in the second game. The year before, BC topped UNH in the semifinals in a triple-overtime game. in 2007, UNH lost to BC in the Hockey East finals. In 2005, it was the same scenario, same result.

In any event, it should be an exciting weekend, which pits two of the top three offensive teams in the league against each other. UNH is led by Bobby Butler, who is first in the league and second in the nation in goals score and second in the league and sixth in the nation in total points. BC features the fourth- and fifth-ranked scorers in the league in Brian Gibbons and Cam Atkinson. Gibbons and Atkinson recorded hat tricks in back-to-back games against Northeastern (7-1 win) and Merrimack (7-0 win) for the Eagles, who have scored five or more goals in six games since the holiday break.

Boston College also features one of the best power plays in the country and the best in Hockey East, but that may not come into play nearly as much as it would against other teams. UNH, despite its youth, has been very disciplined, compiling the least amount of penalty minutes in the league.

But even though the league title is a two-team race, there's still plenty to play for for almost everyone in the league. Let's take a look at the logjam, er, standings:

1. UNH 15-5-5, 35 points (16-10-6)
2. Boston College 15-8-2, 32 points (20-10-2)
3. Maine 13-10-2, 28 points (16-13-3)
4. UMass-Lowell 11-11-3, 25 points (17-14-3)
T-5. Boston University 11-12-2, 24 points (14-15-3)
T-5. Northeastern 11-12-2, 24 points (16-14-2)
T-5. Vermont 9-10-6, 24 points (15-11-6)
8. Merrimack 11-13-1, 23 points (14-17-1)
9. UMass 11-14-0, 22 points (16-16-0)
10. Providence 5-17-3, 13 points (10-19-3)

Only the two aforementioned teams (both of whom have clinched home ice) and No. 17 Maine have even secured a spot in the conference tournament. The Black Bears clinched with a 5-1 win over Merrimack after dropping the first half of the road series, but still are at risk of losing out on home ice in the first round. Maine finishes off the season with a pair of home games against the struggling and desperate UMass. Even despite losing six straight and eight of their last nine, the Minutemen are still within reach of the postseason, which makes them dangerous. Maine can finish no better than third because even if the Black Bears sweep and BC loses both of its games to lock them in a tie at 32 points, BC won the season series, 2-0-1.

UMass-Lowell is also in position for home ice, but if the chips fall just right, including UMass sweeping Maine, the River Hawks could be out of the tournament altogether. In fact, there are two series that pit teams in danger of missing the postseason against each other: No. 16 Vermont at UMass-Lowell for two and Northeastern vs. Boston University in a home-and-home.

Merrimack is still in the mix and honestly could have the easiest road to the postseason with a home-and-home against last-place Providence.

Fantasy Baseball: Positional Rankings - Third Baseman

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The 3rd base position is very top heavy to me. You can get a certifiable superstar if you want to choose one of the top 3 right away, but after that you have pretty good players to the 10 spot, and it really drops after that. The one thing I love about this position is the young stars on the horizon. There are some great prospects that should make their major league debut later this season.

The Top 20:

1. Alex Rodriguez - Yankees

2. Evan Longoria - Rays

3. David Wright - Mets

4. Mark Reynolds - Diamondbacks

5. Kevin Youkilis - Red Sox

6. Pablo Sandoval - Giants

7. Aramis Ramirez - Cubs

8. Jeff Zimmerman - Nationals

9. Chone Figgins - Mariners

10. Michael Young - Rangers

11. Jorge Cantu - Marlins

12. Ian Stewart - Rockies

13. Chipper Jones - Braves

14. Gordon Beckham - White Sox

15. Jhonny Peralta - Indians

16. Mark DeRosa - Giants

17. Kevin Kouzmanoff - A's

18. Garrett Atkins - Oriols

19. Alex Gordon - Royals

20. Adrian Beltre - Red Sox

The Elite:

Alex Rodriguez - We all know Arod is a super star and the best option, by far, at this position. He's about as steady as they come and really took off last year when he and Mark Teixiera became the 3-4 hitters for the Yankees.

Evan Longoria - If you know me, then you know I'm a huge fan of Evan Longoria. I'm such a huge fan that when my wife asked about naming one of my boys Evan, I immediately said yes. He's entering his 3rd full season in the bigs, so look for him to improve on his .281, 33 HR and 113 RBI this season.

The 2nd Tier:

David Wright - Citi Field absolutely killed Wrights offensive production last season. He still hit .307, but dropped way down to 10 home runs and 72 RBI, and a .447 slugging percentage in a whopping 535 at bats.

Mark Reynolds - Reynolds took great strides at the plate last season, and really put himself on the fantasy map. He doesn't hit for average (.260 last year and a career average of .257 in 3 major league seasons), but has plenty of power, 44 home runs, and drove in 102 RBI in a very weak lineup.

Kevin Youkilis - As you might know, I am no fan of the Boston Red Sox, but I certainly do respect Youkilis as a professional hitter. He's an extremely patient hitter, sometimes too patient for my liking, who can hit for average (.305), is an on base machine (.405) and has good power and the ability to drive in runs. His stats have gotten better each year and he had a career high OPS of .961 in 2009.

On the Rise:

Gordon Beckham - In about a half of season, the youngster hit .270, 14, 63. Look for him to have a solid first full season as he's settled into the big leagues. He's an intriguing player who's still learning to man the position.

Brett Wallace - Wallace, who's now with the Blue Jays will eventually get the chance to play full time later this season. He'll most likely play first for the Jays, but is also eligible at third. He's a good hitter, with the potential to hit 25+ home runs in the bigs and will be a good addition to the Jays young lineup.

Josh Bell - Bell, who was stolen from the Dodgers in the George Sherrill deal last season will most likely be a September call up, but keep an eye on this youngster. He has legitimate big league power, and is at the most a year away. He's the reason why the O's signed Garrett Atkins to a one year deal.

Pedro Alvarez - Alvaraz, the best prospect at the position, will most likely start the season at AAA, but will soon be up. He's just too good to keep down in the minors, especially since Andy Laroche is the player holding his position for him.

On the Slide:

Mike Lowell - As of right now, Lowell is relegated to the bench. He's still a good hitter, but will he be able to play full time if he gets traded? Only if he spends most of his time at first or DH.

Melvin Mora - Mora, now a utility infielder with the Rockies, is certainly on the downside. After a good 2008, he took a major step back in production in 2009. His average dropped 24 points, he hit 15 less home runs and 56 less RBI in only 63 less at bats.

Pedro Feliz - Feliz, now with the Astros will not have a power surge hitting in Minute Maid Park. Here's why. I thought he'd hit more home runs in a small field like Citizens Bank Ball Park, but he never did. Now he's three years older.

Placido Polanco - Read my second base rankings.

Make sure to for my Shortstop rankings coming either later on today or tomorrow.